Remembrance
by 10Blue10
Summary: This is my response to the Angel Fanfic Challenge set up by LizzeXX. I hope you all enjoy reading this fanfic as much as I enjoyed writing it!


Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who. Or LizzeXX's stories.

A/N: This is my twenty first fanfic! Whoo-hoo! It's also my contribution to the Angel Fanfic Challenge set up by the marvellously talented 'LizzeXX'. The challenge is outlined below:

"The Doctor has forgotten his Mate, Angel, and so many hope he one day remembers her. While I won't say when or how or if he will, the challenge is open for you to decide. Write a one-shot/chapter of your own about how you picture the Doctor remembering his Mate. It can take place at any time in Series

5 or 6 or 7 or you can even make up your own moment in the 50th special if you think it'll be that long. I'd say you could even go back to Eleventh Hour if you'd like to interpret it as(/hope it was) a momentary lapse of memory. You can write it in any manner you'd like, have the Doctor or Angel react any way, in

any episode, with however much fluff (or even angst) you'd like :)"

Read the A/N at the bottom of chapter 17 of 'Among the Forgotten' or check out her tumblr page to learn more!

You also might want to read the rest of the stories in this series, 'A Treasured Discovery', 'Meeting of the Minds', 'Hearts to Hearts', 'Fading', 'Mated Souls' and of course, 'Among the Forgotten' to properly understand what is going on, who the character of Angel is and how she and the Doctor became Mates.

Remembrance

The Doctor turned away from the sleeping form of young Amelia, and faced the crack in time. With a deep breath, he stepped into the light, screwing his eyes shut against the brightness. When he opened his eyes, he expected to see nothing but whiteness, or blackness. Not a concrete wall and a dim bulb hanging from the ceiling.

Bewildered, the Doctor looked around, and spotted Angel sitting on a small, uncomfortable looking bunk. "Angel! Am I glad to see you. Do you know where we are? Cos I thought I'd been…Angel?" he asked, when she didn't react, didn't even glance in his direction. It was almost as she couldn't hear him. He walked over and knelt down in front of her, trying to catch her gaze. She looked right through him. So she couldn't see him either.

The sound of a Dalek screaming cut through the silence of the small barren room, and Angel clapped her hands to her ears with a grimace. The Doctor realised what this place must be; Angel's cell in Van Statten's museum. He'd erased himself from time, which meant that Angel was never rescued from this cell. He'd tried to protect her and condemned her instead.

"Who is she?" whispered a strangely androgynous voice in his head. The Doctor started and looked around, but there was no one there but himself and Angel. "Who's there?" he asked warily. "Who is she?" the voice repeated. "Angel? She's…she's a good friend" he said hesitantly, as if he wasn't sure that was the right word…

"Who is she?" the voice asked again. "I just told you, she's my friend. She's the last Time Lady" he said impatiently. Angel stifled a sob; he reached out to pat her shoulder, to try and give her some comfort, but his hand passed right through her. Seeing that…it hurt.

"Who is she?" the mysterious voice asked more forcefully. The Doctor rolled his eyes; how many times would he have to answer this one question? "She's…the light in the dark. The earth and the air, she's a guardian angel. She's…_everything_" he answered, hoping this would satisfy the mysterious, but oddly familiar voice.

"Who is she?" the voice demanded for the fifth time. "I don't know!" the Doctor snapped, "I don't know what you want me to say!" he yelled at thin air. It wasn't as if anyone could hear him. "_Who is she?" _the voice practically shouted. "She's my MATE!" the Doctor actually screamed.

He fell to his knees and clutched at his head as so many lost memories rushed into his mind. So many things made sense of all a sudden and other things confused him completely. Most of all, why? How? How could he have forgotten something so important and precious, the best thing that had happened to him in all his lives?

He reached out to Angel, but he still couldn't touch her. It broke his hearts to see her in pain like this and know he'd hurt her even before he'd erased himself from time. Of course, if he never existed, he never would have Mated with her either. The loss of that connection must have somehow echoed back through his timeline, perhaps stopped from affecting his past incarnations by his regeneration.

He buried his face in his hands, the guilt crushing down on him. He heard the bulb humming, and Angel sobbing quietly. Eventually, her sobs faded, making the Doctor think she must have fallen asleep. He looked up to find himself in the TARDIS console room, wearing a fancy suit he didn't remember putting on. The TARDIS hummed in a rather smug way. The Doctor eyed the Time Rotor, having his suspicions as to who the voice in his head was, but there was no time to dwell on this as Amy was shouting.

"Raggedy man, you are late for my wedding!" Amy's strident Scottish tones cut through the Doctor's thoughts. He got up and walked to the door as the TARDIS materialised of her own accord. "Well, Doctor, have I impressed you yet?" he heard Amy ask through the door. He pulled open the door, pressed a finger to her lips and said "hold that thought". Then he shut the door in her face and ran off through the corridors in search of Angel.

She had to be here; Amy had remembered him back into existence, just as he'd hoped she would, and if he still existed then Angel – He collided with her as she rounded the corner where two corridors intersected. As soon as they'd recovered he pulled her close to him and held her tight. "I'm sorry, I'm so…oh, Angel, I'm so sorry" he gasped, clinging to her. "It's okay, it was just an accident" she replied, not sure why he was making such a big deal of bumping into her.

The Doctor pulled back slightly to look her in the eyes. "Accident or not, what I did to you is…unforgivable. But I swear, I will do anything to make it up to you" he promised. Angel blinked. "You're not talking about bumping into me just now, are you?" she asked. "What? No, I'm talking about me forgetting we were Mated. And like I said, I'll do anything"- the Doctor never had the chance to finish as Angel kissed him desperately. He hadn't even realised how much he missed her kisses. Were there fireworks going off somewhere?

"I missed you so much" she whispered, beaming at him with tear filled eyes. "I'm gonna make sure this is the best wedding reception you've ever been to" said the Doctor, making Angel frown adorably in confusion. "Wedding?" she asked him. "Yes. Not ours, Amy's. She remembered me, us, back into existence! Little Amelia Pond remembered me back into reality, and I…" the Doctor's eyes went wide, face paling, "slammed the door in her face. Well, that's karma for you".

Without thinking, the Doctor turned and hurried down the corridor, pulling Angel with him. "Doctor, I'm not even dressed!" she protested, and indeed she was dressed only in white, oddly baggy pyjamas. The Doctor stopped and turned to her. "Nella" he said, and she gasped, "you are beautiful no matter what. I mean really, you're just…glowing" he told her.

Angel suddenly remembered that she had to tell the Doctor something important. "Theta, we need to talk" she began, and he nodded vigorously. "Yes we do, and yes we will, but can we take care of the angry Scottish ginger person first?" he asked her. Angel couldn't bear to say no, and allowed the Doctor to pull her out of the TARDIS and into a crowd of people, all staring at them in shock. And she was wearing her jim-jams. Oh well, it never did his last self any harm.

"Sorry about that, Pond" the Doctor briefly apologised to a still indignant Amy, before addressing the room at large. "Hello, everyone, we're Amy's imaginary friends! But we came anyway. I'm the Doctor, and this is my Mate, the Angel. That's Mate with a capital 'M'. M for mine" he explained, glaring at any man in the room who looked like they might be single.

Angel gave everyone a small wave. "It's nice to meet you. Congratulations Rory, Amy" she told the happy couple. Rory grinned at her. "Thanks Angel" he said, giving her a hug. The Doctor frowned at them. "That's enough, Mr Pond. What part of _my Mate _did you not understand?" he grumbled.

Rory looked at him over Angel's shoulder. "I think considering I helped comfort her when you couldn't remember what she was to you, I'm entitled to all the hugs I like" he said firmly. Angel smiled. "Thanks, Rory, for everything. But now I really should get dressed" she excused herself before stepping back into the TARDIS. The Doctor followed her, saying "Yes, and I will move my box, cos I'll tell you a secret", he shot Amy an infectious grin, "I only came for the dancing".

/

A/N: That's all, folks! I hope you enjoyed this, I hope LizzeXX enjoys it, and good luck to everyone else who decides to try out this challenge.


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